Something changes, something still the same
by Dernhelm from the East
Summary: Though summer provided many opportunities for a reunion, would Nick and Lindsay take a chance at one? Many thanks for helping with this story to fellow F&G fan - GoatEatingToilet.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! These are my first steps in writing. Unfortunately, I'm not a native English speaker, so I desperately need a Beta._

* * *

Except for the first two weeks, this summer must have been the worst of her entire life.

Lindsay was sitting behind the counter in her father's store. She had offered to work for him, partly out of guilt for skipping summit and partly because she was simply willing to help...but she was regretting it now. When she offered her help, she had prepared herself for boredom and her father having complete control, but she had totally forgotten one little thing. Nick was working in the same place.

They barely spoke to each other except a brief "hey" and "see ya later". There was so much tension between Nick and her, so many silent questions and unspoken things, and Lindsay was afraid that one more deep conversation may just ruin their fragile friendship forever. That was something she didn't want.

So she just observed while pretending to read a book or ringing up customers. Lindsay was astonished by Nick's achievements. He didn't smoke weed anymore, he had a job, his drum lessons... and he finished the year with at least C+ average. Otherwise, he'd be in some army camp now. All of this made Lindsay proud of Nick. And at the same time, it made her feel miserable. All these great things Nick had accomplished because of Sara, not Lindsay. Of course, he used to like her, he was obsessed with her, even dedicated a song for her (though Lindsay didn't hear his performance). But for Sara, Nick did so much more. He changed for the better. Lindsay was almost sure that he truly loved Sara.

And it was mutual. Lindsay saw Sara every day. Nick's shift ended before hers and Sara came to the store to meet her beloved boyfriend. It seemed... sickeningly sweet to Lindsay. If Nick really had started dating Sara to make her jealous, mission accomplished. But he had just moved on... and Lindsay had to do the same thing. She turned a page, trying to focus on formulas.

The shop doorbell rang and Lindsay threw a quick glance at the door. It was Sara, of course.

"Hi, babe," Sara murmured, and gave Nick a peck on the cheek. "Have you finished for today?"

"Yeah, sure," Nick answered, somewhat hesitant. "Just... just wait a minute, I'll be right back, okay?"

He went to the back room, leaving Lindsay and Sara alone in an awkward silence.

"So... how was your summit?" Sara asked. Lindsay didn't know if Nick had told his girlfriend about what really happened, but she didn't want to find out.

"Oh, it was cool. I'll never forget about those two weeks," Lindsay replied.

"Lucky you! You should tell me about everything someday at school," Sara said, giggling.

"Yeah... right," Lindsay nodded. The last thing she wanted Mr. Rosso to hear about was how she lived as a Deadhead for nearly two weeks It was the last thing she wanted any McKinley teacher to find out about.

"Oh, we better go," Sara said as soon as Nick returned. "Bye-bye."

"See ya, guys," Lindsay said with a weak smile. And after they'd left the store, her smile faded completely.

Why did Sara visit every day, acting like that? To mock her? Or to be sure Nick wasn't still in love with Lindsay?

"No, no, no," Lindsay said to herself. Watching them through the window, she could see that Sara's admiration didn't just stop after the two had left the store. "She just shows her love this way, that's all."

Lindsay also paid attention to Nick. He looked ashamed and awkward, like he wanted to be somewhere else. Maybe Sara's affection disturbed him?

"Did I look the same way when we were dating?" she wondered, observing how uncomfortable Nick was. The thought made Lindsay sick.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you think, Lindsay? Do you need a new sleeping bag?" Mr. Weir asked.

Every summer, the Weirs went camping for a weekend. Last summer they had to set their trip aside because of granny's illness, but Mr. Weir was determined to resume a family tradition this year.

"I guess not. The old one is okay," Lindsay answered.

"Suit yourself. I'll take a new one for your mother, and I need a coil of fishing line, and..."

Mr. Weir collected all of the items on his mental checklist and brought them to Lindsay to ring up. Nick was pretending to set up some tennis rockets, but he mainly just watched his boss instead.

"Planning a trip?" Nick asked with interest.

"That's right" Mr. Weir nodded. "A camping trip near the lake."

"Oh, that's great. Camping is great. You know, we used to go camping too, but then my brothers went to the army, and my dad lost interest, so... no more camping" Nick stated with a shrug, returning to his work.

"That's a shame," Mr. Weir replied. Lindsay could predict what would happen next. She rolled her eyes and shook head behind Nick's back, but her father either didn't notice or wasn't pay attention.

"Listen, Nick," Mr. Weir began, "why don't you join us on our trip?"

"Are you serious? Oh, man, that's really cool!" Nick beamed.

"I'm absolutely serious. I can't bear to spend all weekend listening to gossip, or Sam's 'Star Wars' gibberish... or whatever it is kids like now. Say, do you like fishing?"

"Yeah, I guess. Newer tried before."

"Really? How could you go camping without going fishing?" Mr. Weir asked as he left the shop area. Nick was quick to follow him while Lindsay stayed, absolutely shocked by her father's impromptu invite.

 _"What was that?"_ she asked herself. Her inner voice (which suspiciously sounded like Kim) answered, _"He just invited Nick to join your trip, dumbass."_

 _"I know that. I'm wondering 'why?'"_

 _"'Cause your daddy is bored, and Nick is a nice guy, and if you don't like him, it doesn't mean that everyone also feels the same."_

 _"No!"_ Lindsay protested. _"I like him. I'm just... isn't it strange and very awkward that your father invited your ex-boyfriend to your family trip?"_

 _"So what? Millie will be there... along with Bill and Neal. Hang out with them and don't worry about Nick."_

 _"Oh, thank you very much for the advice!"_ Lindsay thought, sarcastically. _"It'll be helpful."_

While arguing with herself, she hardly paid attention to Sara's daily visit. Lindsay just waved to her absently and returned to her thoughts.

Would this trip change something? Or would it be just a waste of time... and very, very awkward? Her thoughts tormented her for days afterwards, not letting up until just before the trip. The night before they were to leave, Lindsay almost chose not to go... but she couldn't find a reason to stay home.

Saturday morning was hectic. Mr. and Mrs. Weir packed their goods in a rented van. Sam and his friends tried to help them but they were really only in the way. Lindsay and Millie sat in Lindsay's room and tried to remember things they could have forgotten. At the same moment, Lindsay wondered if she would like to swim in the lake and if she should take a swimsuit - or not.

"Hurry up, honey!" Mrs. Weir said, looking into her daughter's room. "If we want to reach the lake by noon, we should pick up Nick in twenty minutes."

"Okay, mom," Lindsay answered, leaving the swimsuit in her wardrobe.

"Nick? Nick Andopolis?" Millie whispered as soon as Mrs. Weir went away. "Why will he be there?"

"My father invited him," Lindsay replied, a little bit nervous. "He is working in A1 now, so..."

"I think it's a trick," Millie stated, sounding serious. "He'll gain your parents' trust and then he'll try to seduce you."

"No, no, no!" Lindsay disagreed. "He isn't in love with me; I think he just really likes my parents. Besides, Nick has a girlfriend now and..."

Suddenly Lindsay realized that Sara didn't come into the store since Nick had got an invitation to join the Weirs. She bit her lip and didn't end her statement.

"If you say so," Millie pursed her lips. "But he is a freak, Lindsay. Freaks do whatever they want."

"Nick isn't a freak," Lindsay snapped back. "Not anymore."


	3. Chapter 3

"Girls, why don't you go swimming?" Mrs. Weir asked. With the help of Lindsay and Millie, she was preparing a quick lunch while the boys were playing in the water, loudly, and Mr. Weir was yelling at them for scaring off all the fish.

"Oh, we won't swim," Lindsay answered. "You know, Millie doesn't like water, and I left..."

She became silent when Nick arrived with a large bundle of firewood.

"Here, ma'am. Anything else I can do to help?"

"Oh, thank you, sweetheart. Please, relax and enjoy the fresh air. And tell Mr. Weir not to yell so much."

He grinned and grabbed a sandwich.

"May I?"

"Of course, of course," Mrs. Weir said with a smile and waved him goodbye. Then she looked at her daughter who was strangely silent.

"Honey, is it because of Nick?" Mrs. Weir questioned as soon as Millie went to her tent. "You always like to swim and..."

"Mom!" Lindsay interrupted her. "I don't want to talk about Nick. I told you once about my private life, and you broke up with him for me. Please, I don't want a repeat of the same thing... or something worse. Please."

Mrs. Weir sighed and said, "As you wish, honey."

After lunch, they spent their time separately. Mr. Weir and Nick went to the lake to try to catch some fish. Although a perfect time for fishing had passed, Mr. Weir didn't lose hope. Mrs. Weir sat comfortably in a folding chair and opened a book.

"Hey, Lindsay, do you wanna play with us?" Neal said with a grin. "We need a fourth player."

"Depends on what do you want to play," Lindsay answered. She noticed a colorful box. "A board game? While we're camping?"

"It's Parcheesi," Neal said, trying to defend their game. His words were heard by Millie.

"Oh, Parcheesi? May I play with you?" she asked. "I like this game!"

"I guess you've found a fourth player," Lindsay pointed out, smiling. She turned around and laid down on her sleeping bag. Lindsay folded her hands behind head and closed her eyes.

It was a quiet and peaceful moment. Lindsay felt the breeze on her face, smelled forest and water, heard muffled voices of her friends. Everything seemed to be all right. Almost.

 _"I wish Nick didn't hate me. I wish we were friends like before. Do I want a lot?"_ Lindsay wondered. She opened her eyes and watched the passing clouds. _"I'll talk to him. And if it is a lost cause, I'll move to another country, I guess."_

But by that evening her courage vanished without a trace. They lit a bonfire and roasted marshmallows on sticks. Nick played guitar and sang some scout songs and everybody, even Mr. Weir, sang alone to him. Nick seemed so relaxed, so calm and friendly to everybody that Lindsay couldn't bother him with her stupid feelings. She just wrapped herself in a blanket and watched how sparks of the fire were going out.

"Well, kids, it's rather late. Don't sit near the bonfire all night. We'll wake up early tomorrow," Mr. Weir said.

"Good night, sweetings," Mrs. Weir said. They went to their tent.

Millie went to sleep almost right after them, but not before giving Lindsay a very meaningful gaze. Lindsay smiled sadly and shook her head. Millie shrugged and left. "She also thinks I'm a bitch," Lindsay thought dolefully.

Sam and his friends were arguing about a new movie, 'Clash of the Titans.' Nick was playing guitar, but Lindsay didn't recognize the song. She decided to follow Millie, but she wanted Millie to fall asleep first. Nick put his guitar aside and left without saying a word. Lindsay released a sigh. Did she expect Nick to talk to her or something?

"Good night, Linds," Sam and Bill said, throwing their sticks into the fire.

"Good night, guys," Lindsay replied. Neal stayed up with her, and it was a little bit uncomfortable.

"So, Lindsay," Neal began, giving her a sly smile, "how is it going? You know, with your summer and... stuff."

"Pretty well, I guess," Lindsay said. She was ready to run away from him. "And yours?"

"Nice question!" Neal scooted closer to her. "Things are good, but I hope they may become much better. What do you say if we..."?

He was interrupted by Nick, who brought more firewood. Neal instantly moved away from Lindsay.

"Need to feed this guy, right?" Nick started to put wood into the fire. Neal looked at Lindsay, then at Nick and rolled his eyes.

"See you in the morning," Neal muttered, standing to go away.

"Good night, Neal," said Lindsay softly. Neal just chuckled in an answer.

There were a few very awkward and tense moments of silence as Nick stirred up the coals in the fire avoiding to look at Lindsay. She desperately tried to find something for them to talk about.

"So... how's your summer? How's Sara?" She felt like she was the biggest idiot in the whole world.

"Oh... she's cool... I mean I think she's cool... I mean... I don't know how she is... we broke up a few days ago, so..." He shrugged and looked at Lindsay, anticipating a reaction.

His words stunned Lindsay. She opened her mouth to say something but only a gasp escaped.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Lindsay mumbled at last.

"Nah, that's okay," Nick said, jauntily. "We were too different, ya know. Besides..."

His tone became serious. He looked like he was trying to find the proper words.

"Besides... when you said I'd been too intense... I now know you felt. It sucks."

Lindsay felt her cheeks and ears blush.

"I'm so sorry, Nick. Really sorry. And I hurt you so much... I shouldn't have done what I did."

Nick smiled weakly and stayed silent.

"Are we still friends?" Lindsay asked, worriedly looking at Nick.

"Oh, yeah, friends," he said. She was sure she heard slight disappointment in his answer.

More awkward silence followed. Lindsay took a deep breath and decided to risk it.

"Listen, Nick... I was thinking... What do you say if we'll hang out together sometime.? Like shooting hoops, or go to a movie, or..."

"Like a date?" Nick looked at her suspiciously. Lindsay nodded, and he gave her a huge grin. "Sounds great."

Lindsay smiled shyly and stared at the fire.

"Hey, Linds," Nick called her. He bit a lip and asked, "May I hug you?"

"Yeah, sure," Lindsay answered, half happy and half nervous.

He went to her, sat close and gently hugged her shoulders. It reminded Lindsay of that Friday night when he sang 'Lady' for her. So many things had changed, but some stayed the same. Nick was the same awkward and amazing guy she liked and almost lost.

"Oh, come on!" sighed Lindsay and broke off the hug. Nick didn't understand what happened as she wrapped him in her blanket and snuggled closer.

"I'm so glad you're here," Lindsay whispered from somewhere in his chest.

"Yeah, me too," Nick mumbled, his chin resting on the top of her head. And this time there was no rush. They had all time in the world.


	4. PS

"Hey, Nick, can I ask you about something," Lindsay questioned a few days after the trip when her father left A1 for lunch. "Did your family really used to go camping? Or it was just a trick to join us?"

Nick grinned, ashamed.

"Um... sort of. I mean I had no idea how normal people go camping. 'Cause my father liked deer hunting, and I hated all that stuff. When I was a kid, I even thought that my dad was the guy who had killed Bambi's mom."

"Oh my God, Nick!" Lindsay looked shocked.

"That's all right now," he touched her chin trying to cheer her up. "Thanks to you guys for that."

Lindsay smiled.

"So... maybe we could go camping again sometime? I didn't even swim at all last time."

"Yeah, I like that idea," Nick beamed.

This summer turned out better than it first looked.


End file.
